Effects
of
Climate
Change
on Regional Crop Production in Eastern Pennsylvania
Ross, Sunshyne
T., and Mangan, Jennifer M., 2009 [abs]: Effects of Climate
Change on Regional Crop Production in Eastern Pennsylvania, American
Geophysical Union fall meeting (14-18 December 2009, San
Francisco, CA) (abstract no. B23A-0350)
Regional
climate
changes
can
significantly alter crop yields for agriculturally
important areas. Berks County, PA, is an agrarian community whose crop
production is typical of southeastern Pennsylvania, with corn as a
major crop. Mean annual temperatures in Pennsylvania are predicted to
increase by 4 degrees C and precipitation is expected to increase 5% by
2100. We examined changes in 20th Century Berks County crop yields,
particularly corn, in response to yearly variations in temperature and
precipitation. Crop yields for corn are predicted by models to increase
up to a 29 degrees C threshold, beyond which yields will significantly
decrease. This study quantifies the effects of recent climate change on
Berks County crop production and predicts potential changes for the
future. It is important to consider regional climate change effects if
we are to fully understand the impacts of global change on food crop
production. This study also incorporates anecdotal data from farmers to
note their perceptions of crop productivity as related to environmental
changes and to determine other factors that may affect farming
practices and crop yields.
